Sutherland (Megiddo)
The Sutherland is a knightmare frame utilized by the Britannian Empire and many other military forces in Code Geass Megiddo. 'Appearance' Its original incarnation, no design changes made. Outside standard Britannian blue, units otherwise acquired by Peace Mark are colored dark brown. 'Description' Designed and developed after the conquest of Japan (Area 11), the Sutherland ''was at one time the pinnacle of knightmare technology. More of a refinement to its predecessor, the ''Glasgow, than a new design, the Sutherland ''was the first knightmare frame in existence to be designed primarily to combat other knightmares; this proves to be an essential development, as the ''Glasgow's success in the Second Pacific War meant that the other superpowers, the Chinese Federation and European Union, would soon field their own knightmares. To that end, the Sutherland ''features a redesigned, simplified cockpit system with improved life support, as well as the landspinners being refined for higher speed and efficiency and extra armor being added to the frame itself to increase durability. Those aside, however, the ''Sutherland ''was not a far development from the ''Glasgow, which had caused many to believe (for a time) that the knightmare frame had reached the summit of technological advancement. 'Armaments' ;*'Slash Harken' : The Slash Harken is the signature weapon of the Knightmare Frame, and is used by almost all KMF models. Slash Harkens are wire-guided projectiles with some form of anchor-like blunt object at its tip. They can be used in multiple ways varying from offensive to defensive, or as a means of transportation via anchoring them in an object, and retracting the cable. Two of these are placed on its chest module. ;*'"Chaos Mine" Flechette Grenade' : Meant for taking out multiple enemies at once, whether they be humans or vehicles, the "Chaos Mine" is a weapon well suited for its purpose. As opposed to standard grenades, the "Chaos Mine", as its name suggests, is not an explosive device, but rather a one-use volley gun; once thrown into the air, it will momentarily hover and rain down flechette darts over a specified area. These darts are no more than several millimeters in length and diameter, yet they are capable of piercing anything from kevlar vests to tank armor. The Sutherland ''carries two of these in hip compartments. ;*'Stun Tonfa''' : As the Sutherland ''was meant to fight other knightmares, its designers made sure close-combat weapons would be included in its arsenal. The centerpiece of this weapons line were a pair of stun tonfas, which as their name suggests, are bludgeoning weapons mounted on the ''Sutherland's forearms, meant for clobbering enemy knightmares into submission. Additionally, a secondary stun gun is mounted beneath each tonfa, which upon contact will overload most electronics and mechanical systems; this allows the Sutherland ''to function as an enforcement unit as well as a military one. Though effective weapons in their time, the tonfas are completely outclassed by dedicated melee weapons, such as maser vibration blades, blitzschwerts and chainswords. ;*'Assault Rifle''' : The standard Britannian knightmare-grade assault rifle. Fashioned after a submachine gun, it fires a multitude of bullet types, and is equipped with a supplementary grenade launcher overhead. Bullets are supplied through clips and the grenades are supplied through revolver-type cylinders respectively. In terms of penetration power, it is effective against both light armored targets, such as other knightmares, and heavy armored targets like tanks and (to some degree) warships. This is the Sutherland's trademark weapon, which is yet another carry over from the Glasgow. ;*'Sniper Rifle' : Though it lacks specialized long-range sensor systems, the Sutherland ''can still act as a fairly effective sniper platform when equipped with this gun. Meant for single-shot kills against heavily armored targets, the sniper rifle is a powerful weapon with the longest reach in the ''Sutherland's entire arsenal. The tradeoff, however, is that it is large and very bulky, such that the Sutherland ''is incapable of utilizing it in a melee. As well, it is also a very heavy weapon, necessitating a bipod at the end of its barrel for stabilization. ;*'Bazooka''' : The standard Britannian knightmare-grade bazooka. Meant to be used against heavy targets, the bazooka can fire a variety of warheads, ranging from HE rounds to even adhesives and chemical weapon types, all at long-range. In turn, its destructive power is enough that it can break most forms of shielding as well as pierce ship and fortress level defenses. Unfortunately, along with the slow firing rate and limited ammo. This is yet another carry over from the Glasgow, though in the hands of the Sutherland, it's no less effective. ;*'Heavy Lance' : A late addition to the Sutherland's arsenal, the heavy lance is perhaps its most exotic weapon, one that would only be featured on a Britannian knightmare. When used in cohesion with the Sutherland's mobility, it becomes a high-effective piercing weapon, in the spirit of the medieval jousters; anything short of energy shielding cannot hope to withstand it. Sutherlands ''have been recorded as piercing up two or three enemy knightmares in a single charge with this weapon, while its heavy set design ensures its durability. Alongside, it can also be used a javelin, holding just as much power when thrown. ;*'"Sattel Waffen" Missile Launcher''' : Translated as "Saddle Weapon", this missile launcher is meant to turn the Sutherland ''into a long-range support platform. Capable of holding ten missiles at a time, the ''Sutherland ''can literally rain down a wide variety of ordinance upon targets, although with less numbers than dedicated missile units. The tradeoff is that the missile launchers greatly add to the ''Sutherland's weight, decreasing its mobility. System Features ;*'Factsphere Open Sensor Camera' : The Sutherland's main sensor system, mounted within its head. The factsphere is essentially an advanced camera that relays live thermographic images and data to the pilot. Due to its sensitivity, both due to its intended purpose and to physical damage, the factsphere is usually kept behind a set of armored plates and only deployed for in-depth scans of a targeted item or area. ;*'Quad-Eye Sensor Camera' : In lieu of its factsphere, the Sutherland ''utilizes a set of miniature quadruple cameras for standard operations, mounted in the armor plates that conceal the former. Though not as powerful as the factsphere, the smaller cameras are still efficient units, providing the pilot with in-depth visual images and data. As well, they are simpler in design than the factsphere, and therefore easier to utilize and repair. ;*'Multispectral Sensor System''' : The Sutherland ''carries a standard sensor package, which provides pilots a detailed readout on their surroundings, theoretically enough for them to survive the battlefield. The ''Sutherland's system doesn't hold in any special features, instead being designed for functionality above all else. ;*'Landspinner Propulsion System' : The Sutherland ''carries landspinners as with most knightmares. Though they're not quite as powerful or mobile as those on more specialized knightmares, these units provide the ''Sutherland ''with superior mobility than preceding fourth generation units. Other than that they are very basic in function. 'History' In only a few years, the ''Sutherland ''would replace the aging ''Glasgow ''as Britannia's main battle unit, as well as being used as the basis for numerous variation designs such as the [[Gloucester|''Gloucester]], a high mobility close combat specialized knightmare meant for Britannian aces and commanders. The ''Sutherland ''would see usage in many conflicts, from the Japanese Insurrection in Area 11 to Operation Lionheart in the Middle Eastern Federation, later conquered as Area 18, and then to the Black Rebellion and the current Great World War. However, by 2025, this fifth generation knightmare would become conceivably outdated and overshadowed by the development of seventh and eighth generation knightmare frames. Category:Knightmare Frames